Simulation Platform

On the host platform, you install the DPS8M simulator. See Simulator Page for details on how and where to install the simulator.

You also create a directory, called the Multics host directory, in which the Multics disk image, Multics boot tape, and other configuration and simulator scripts reside. Each Multics host directory contains all the files describing one emulated Multics system. While you can run multiple Multics systems on your host machine, each Multics system must reside in a separate Multics host directory, and you must configure the DPS8M simulator to ensure that each Multics system’s FNP simulator listens on a different TCP port. When creating an instance of a Multics system, it is best to start with an empty directory and only put those assets in the directory that are required to support running that instance of Multics. If you use the QuickStart and unzip the ZIP file in which the QuickStart is stored, you will automatically get a new directory created, which will become your Multics host directory. Feel free to move this anywhere on your host system. If you perform a manual cold boot, start with an empty directory as your Multics host directory.

The instructions that follow describe setup for a single emulated Multics system.

Installing Multics on Your Host Machine

There are two ways of installing a new Multics system on your host machine. The first, and by far the easiest, is to use the "Multics QuickStart". The second way is to manually perform the cold boot process yourself. The QuickStart provides an already cold-booted Multics system disk image that is ready to run. The disk image of the Root Logical Volume (RLV) is one which is identical to what you would get if you manually cold booted Multics. In fact, the way the QuickStart RLV is created is by following the lengthier cold boot process and then exiting the simulator just afterwards, thus saving the state of the system before logging in any interactive users or making other changes to the system.

Regardless of which way you choose to install Multics, you will end up with a full distribution of Multics, including all source code, object archives, include files, compilers, and unbundled software. Source code for Multics is found under the >ldd directory.

Getting started using the Multics QuickStart is described below. To cold boot Multics yourself, see Cold Booting Multics.

Using the Multics QuickStart

Before using the QuickStart, you must already have the DPS8M simulator. If you do not, see Installing the DPS8M simulator. Make sure that the simulator executable is on your path, and can be started successfully by typing "dps8" at a terminal shell prompt. Doing so should give you output similar to this (the first line, beginning with "$" is your input to the shell):

Exit the simulator by typing "quit" followed by the Return or Enter key.

Download the latest version of the Multics QuickStart from MR12.6f QuickStart. This is a ZIP file. Make sure you have the necessary tools on your system to unzip a ZIP file, and then unzip the contents of this ZIP file. The resulting directory will be your Multics host directory. Feel free to move it anywhere you wish. As of this writing, the name of the directory you get when unzipped the QuickStart ZIP file is "QuickStart_MR12.6f". The contents of this directory should contain the following files:

Your Multics system is up and running. The terminal shell in which you started the simulator and Multics is now the operator console. In order to get the attention of the operator console, type the Esc key. It prompts you with "M-> ". See the Multics documentation [1] and, in particular, the manual GB61 (Multics Operator's Guide) for complete documentation of the operator interface. There is also online documentation. At the "M-> " prompt, you may use the "help", "?", "list_requests", and "list_help" commands.

Logging Into Your New Multics System

The simulator should be listing on TCP port 6180 and if you connect to that port using telnet, you should be able to login.

If your operating system doesn't come with a telnet client, find out how to install one and then invoke, from a terminal shell, the following:

Now you are ready to login. The only interactive account that you can use as this point is that of associated with a userid of Repair. You can login to either the SysAdmin or SysDaemon project, but we recommend that you login to the default SysAdmin project. The initial password for Repair is "repair" and you will have to change it on first login.

To login as Repair.SysAdmin and specify that you wish to change the password, type the following:

login Repair -cpw

You will be prompted for the default password. Type "repair" followed by Enter (or Return).

You will be prompted for a new password twice. Choose a new password for this.

You are now logged in as Repair.SysAdmin. That last piece of output is the default Multics "ready" prompt. You can now enter regular or administrative Multics commands. For more information on how to proceed, see Using Multics

Shutting Down Your Multics System

Shutting down your Multics system before shutting down your host computer is very important. If you don't, the Multics file system will be left in an inconsistent state. In order to shut down your system, follow the instructions here: Shutting Down Multics.

Registering Your Multics System

To register your Multics system, you may visit Register Your Multics System. Doing so allows others to see that you have installed Multics and advertises as little or as much information about your system as you wish. Doing so also gives you a Multics serial number. You can update the serial.txt file (or create one if none exists) in your Multics host directory so that it contains the Multics serial number you are assigned during registration. While this is an optional step, real Multics hardware systems had serial numbers, and the "rsw" machine instruction returns this serial as the "processor ID". So you, too, can influence the "rsw" instruction by returning your very own assigned Multics hardware serial number.